North Korea Increases Olympic Coverage as Athletes Win Medals

Aug. 3, 2012 3:00 a.m. ET

fullscreen

North Korea's Kim Un Guk set a world record in the men's 62-kilogram weightlifting event. North Korea is allowing five hours of daily coverage of the London Olympics to be shown on its TV network, a South Korean broadcaster who arranged technical logistics for the North said.
Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters…

The length of coverage is unusual for the country, where the regime typically exerts great control over images of foreign countries and events. Here, North Korea's Ryang Chun Hwa competed in the women's 48-kilogram weightlifting event, winning a bronze medal.
Rob Carr/Getty Images…

The country's increased Olympic coverage comes as North Korea's athletes have turned in their best Olympic performance since the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. Seen here, North Korea's An Kum Ae celebrated her gold medal in the women's 52-kilogram judo event on July 29.
Toru Hanai/Reuters…

On Tuesday, North Korea's state news agency produced a reaction story about the country's Olympic success. It said the just-won third Olympic gold medal 'put the whole country into tumult of joy.' On Wednesday, Rim Jong Sim, center, won another gold medal for the country in the women's 69-kilogram weightlifting event.
Srdjan Suki/EPA…

In London, North Korean athletes, as at previous international sports events, have kept to themselves, avoiding most news conferences and rarely interacting with other athletes except in competition. Here, Kwon Un Sil of North Korea took aim in the women's individual archery event Wednesday.
Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters…

Some U.S. and French women's soccer players, however, were able to play table tennis with some North Koreans in a common room in the athletes' quarters in Glasgow earlier in the week, the Associated Press reported. Here, Kim Jong of North Korea competed in the women's table tennis match on July 29.
Sergei Grits/Associated Press…

North Korea's women's soccer team became embroiled in a doping scandal after the 2011 Women's World Cup and was banned from the 2015 event. The American players who met the North Koreans in the Olympics this week said they seemed more relaxed. Seen here, North Korea's Choe Mi Gyong, left, kept the ball from the U.S.'s Lauren Cheney during a soccer match on July 31.
Jon Super/Associated Press…

One of North Korea's supporters waved a flag during the soccer match. The women's soccer team represents the largest unit of North Korea's 56-person Olympic team. In the opening round, the team defeated Colombia but lost to France and the U.S. and didn't advance to elimination-round play.
Jon Super/Associated Press…